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South Asia
Over 40 writers return Indian awards in protest over rising intolerance
Recently over 40 writers, filmmakers and academics returned their awards in protest over rising intolerance in India. Latest joining in, renowned South Asian writer Arundhati Roy returned her National Award for Best Screenplay on Thursday, which she had won in 1989. Returning her award, the Booker Prize winner said…
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South Asia
Bilquis Edhi honored with Mother Teresa Award in India
Bilquis Edhi, the wife of prominent Pakistani philanthropist, social activist and humanitarian, Abdul Sattar Edhi of Edhi Foundation, has been selected for Mother Teresa Memorial International Award 2015 for sheltering Geeta, a deaf and mute Indian girl who was stranded in Pakistan. “In view of the noble and humanitarian…
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South Asia
Saudi Raif Badawi wins EU Sakharov rights prize
Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, who was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for insulting Islam, was awarded the European Parliament’s prestigious Sakharov human rights prize on Thursday 29th October. The 31-year-old blogger, who was arrested in 2012, is an advocate of free speech whose public flogging in…
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South Asia
Nepal elects first female president
Nepal’s parliament, on Wednesday, elected communist lawmaker Bidhya Bhandari as the country’s first female president after the adoption of a landmark constitution last month. The former defense minister and the vice-chair of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) defeated her opponent Kul Bahadur Gurung by 327 to…
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South Asia
A way for change in blasphemy law of Pakistan
The Supreme Court in Pakistan on Tuesday urged the state to ensure that no one is forced to endure an investigation or trial on the basis of false blasphemy allegations. The court also rejected the appeal against death sentence of Mumtaz Qadri, who has received death sentence for killing the…
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South Asia
Unspeakable taboo: alcohol in Middle East
Alcohol or liquors are one of the unspeakable taboos around the Middle Eastern countries, with their Muslim majority. Quran prohibits Muslims from drinking alcohol or being intoxicated in any way, but has it always been that way? And does that ever stop them? And who says what’s considered intoxicated and…
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South Asia
Social media campaign spreads love between Pakistan and India
With the political relations between Pakistan and India being unstable lately, the common people from sibling countries have taken it upon themselves to improve the relations. An Indian social media user, Ram Subramanian started a campaign on Thursday by posting a picture of himself with the note, “I am an…
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South Asia
86 stranded Indians cross Wagah border on foot
Due to the deteriorating law and order situation in India, the Samjhota Express train which left from Pakistan was refused entry by the Indian railway authorities, causing eighty-six Indian passengers to make their way home by crossing the Wagah border on foot on Monday. According to Pakistan Railways, the Samjhota…
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South Asia
Malala documentary premiered at London Festival
A documentary about the youngest-ever Nobel Peace laureate Malala had its European premiere this week at the London Film Festival. “He named me Malala” is an intimate portrait of Malala Yousafzai. Humbled by Malala’s aspirations and efforts, American actress Meryl Streep hailed her as the worthy heiress of the suffragettes…
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South East Asia
Korea, Pakistan explore possibilities of Free Trade Agreement
The two Asian republics – Pakistan and Korea, having bilateral trade and diplomatic relations for over three decades, are exploring avenues including Free Trade Agreement to enhance investment and trade volume. Both the countries are very much ambitious to sign Free Trade Agreement (FTA) however it will take years to…
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